DeWalt 18 GA. Nailer

Cordless nail gun’s are becoming more and more popular with each passing year. We get so many questions about which one is the one to get. There are so many choices out there and we all really want to avoid buying lemons. Believe me with 30 years in building and remodeling I have bought my fair share of lemons and I know the frustration that it causes. I take tool reviewing very seriously because I never want to give bad advice and I never want to encourage someone to spend their money on something that is going to be a big disappointment.

Why Even Talk About This?

For several years all cordless nail gun options were pretty bad. More recently it seems manufacturers have worked really hard to make a tool that we can use successfully. There are many competing technologies with the same goal in mind. That is to successfully drive nails in certain gauges and lengths into a variety of building materials such as hardwood soft wood plywood and MDF. All of the newer options will accomplish this goal to a certain extent.

The Industry Standard

My most used guns over the years in both the 16 and 18 gauge categories have been Paslode impulse nailers. They use compressed gas and a small rechargeable battery to run a fan and the ignition. The design is basically a single event combustion engine. Their design has given them more power in a smaller lighter package than the battery only guns have been able to deliver. The downside has been weaker cold-weather operation and the maintenance schedule where you disassemble the gun to clean it and lubricate it to keep it in top running order.

There have been many battery only competitors brought to the market in the last 10 to 15 years and none of them have really compared well with the Paslode guns. Even though they keep getting better they just haven’t been able to top the Paslode in performance, hole size or overall user experience.

Not Their First Rodeo

Now DeWalt has released their new 20v max 18 Ga. nailer along with several other sizes. How does it stack up? Short version? In my opinion, Very well. At first glance it has everything. Adjustable depth of drive, belt hook, LED light, dry fire lockout and tool free clearing of jams.

This is not DeWalt’s first 18 ga nailer. They do know a thing or 2 about what we need in a nailer to make our job better. They have both pneumatic nail guns and the old 18v ni-cad gun under their belts. I really feel that this new gun is finally to the point where I can confidently say just go get one. The performance is really up there where we need it to do clean finish work.

Precision Machine

The first thing I want to cover is that the hole it produces is very tight. Once you get it adjusted to the proper depth with the tool free thumb wheel, it is no larger than the head of the brad. This is very important because we do not want large holes to fill in our finish molding. They might be Okay on paint grade wood work but on stained and finished or pre-finished molding it is always better to have the smallest hole possible. In comparing this gun to the pneumatic version there is a difference in the hole size. The cordless in this case actually out performs the pneumatic. It also handily outperforms the Milwaukee fuel and other cordless brad nailers in both hole size and cleanness. I was surprised at how tight the holes actually are.

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The nose is very similar to the Bostitch precision point nailers. No surprise here since they are also owned by Stanley Black and decker. There is nothing to obstruct your line of sight. Perfect nail placement is easy and repeatable. The nose also allows you to get into tighter places than all other cordless brad nailers. They share many other features with the new Bostitch cordless nailers as well. They are near clones inside and out.

The next point is power. This gun has absolutely amazing power in all materials that we run into with finish work. It is one gun you actually need to dial back to the right setting to avoid over driving. It doesn’t matter if it is MDF, Pine, walnut, White Oak or hard maple the DeWalt 20v has power to spare. Many guns do just fine with a range of nails but struggle on full length fasteners in hardwoods. Some of the more powerful cordless guns will do fine with red oak and then leave the head proud on hard Maple. The DeWalt 18 ga gun has no such trouble. Smooth sailing all the way. It is the first non gas cordless I have run across that will cleanly and consistently drive in these scenarios.

This brings up another point. User experience. To be sure, this is more important to me than the other points. All the power in the world is useless if there is too much feedback to the user’s hand. Some guns mentioned earlier have the power but they can actually be painful to use after a while. The flywheel design in the DeWalt nailers is very efficient and offers class leading power with much less feedback to the user. Recoil is a fact of life with any nail gun but this gun has a minimal amount. It is very pleasant in the shot. I can literally nail all day with no hand shock issues. After 30 years as a carpenter and woodworker, I appreciate user-friendly tools more than ever. Your mileage may be different but suffice it to say no one benefits from more recoil. No one wants wasted energy transferring to your hand and wrist instead of being concentrated on the nail.

The flywheel design also gives DeWalt another possible advantage in some situations. Once that flywheel is spinning you can bump fire the thing until you are out of nails. I don’t use trim guns in bump fire mode but that’s not to say you might not benefit from that ability. There are many creative minds out there we never know what they might come up with.

A few other notable features: The gun itself is completely symmetrical. It has arguably the best balance of any of the cordless guns. The grip is very comfortable. I find dewalt grips to be some of the most comfortable on the market. The main head has rubber bumpers to help you avoid scratching finished surfaces and it also keeps your gun looking new longer. The belt hook can be placed on either side of the gun. It is in the perfect spot for left or right hand use. It is very comfortable has no sharp edges that we cut into your pocket if you used it on your jeans and it is plenty wide enough to hang on your nail bags. DeWalt has provided a simple switch to change the gun from single shot to bump fire mode. It works very well and requires no tools. The LED lights are well placed and light up both sides the gun for use in dark areas such as under cabinets. Since there are lights on both sides there is only a very thin shadow line in the middle where there is no light.

No tool is 100% perfect. I would still like to see a smaller form factor. It shares the same basic head dimensions with all the other 20v max finish nailers and stapler. It doesn’t take as much power to drive a 2″ 18 ga brad as it does a 2 1/2″ 15 or 16 ga finish nail. I also find that the safety lightly dents softer woods like pine, plywood or pre primed MDF. It’s not as bad as some other guns. I thought I should mention it for full disclosure. If any other complaints arise I will update this article. The benefits far out weigh these minor quibbles.

DeWalt really has all of their cordless nailers dialed. In 2017 I can confidently say there is no other battery only cordless 18 ga. Brad nailer I can recommend more highly. Don’t just take my word for it. Try one without risk for 90 days with the DeWalt satisfaction guarantee and 3 year warranty.

I review and recommend products to help you buy the stuff you need. If you make a purchase by clicking one of my links, I do earn a small commission. My pledge to you is this: I will always say what I really feel. I will not taint my reviews to make a quick buck at your expense. I want you to know the truth about the tools I review for the good or the bad. My picks and opinions are independent from any business incentives.

199 Comments

Chalo Caso

Adam Leal

Tyler Gaultier

Dewalt has the best cordless nail guns out there. Very little maintenance compared to other nail guns. And from what I’ve seen with the cordless framing nail gun they seem to have a consistent nailing depth.

Jordan way

Aaron Evans

An depth review! WOWZER! No more compressor are you kidding me?! Sign me up! I bought a brad fun at an auction a feebweeks ago. First nail blew the trigger seal. Doh! I’d very much like to replace it with this one! IG @redbeardsociety

Kris Mauro

Dominic Zuckswert

Awesome review! It’s always nice to hear both the pros as well as the cons. I haven’t owned my own battery nailer yet but I’m researching and reading up on reviews like this to determine what to get. This review was extremely helpful and I like the amount of detail you provided. A friend of mine runs everything on battery and speaks very highly about the idea of not using hoses and compressors. I need to make the switch!
Thanks for the high quality review!

DeeLeeBee

Andy horta

Dulguun Batkhishig

Cordless is the way to go! For a small workshop starting out, top quality tools that save time and money in the long run is a must for us. We are slowly building our kit and DeWalt is becoming a favourite!

James DeArmond

James DeArmond

Nice review….
This 18 Ga. DeWalt nailer would be a great partner to the The DCN692M1 20V MAX* XR Lithium Ion Brushless Dual Speed Framing Nailer I recently purchased at the Home Depot.
We have some interior finish projects on the docket… so, I hope I win?!

Danny Aschemann

Gabriel - Integrity Carpentry on IG

Awesome well balanced review. I can not tell you how much I appreciate thorough, no fluff reviews. What’s the point, but so many do it. I am greatful that you are staying humble and heartfelt in this! Much love. On the nail gun the DeWalt would really be the one to get. I use a 16 ga Paslode that is older than the 15 years I have been a Carpenter and it is great. I just don’t enjoy the fumes. I would appreciate a smaller gun, that looks like it could drive framing nails. I will probably wait till it gets smaller to really really consider it. Hopefully the denting softwoods will be addressed also. Keep it up! Your an asset to us all!

Thanks for this. Super helpful. I’m slowly upgrading to almost all flexvolt and 20v max dewalt. I really appreciate the engineering on a performance and pragmatic level (especially their storage systems). But I’ve been on the fence about the nailer. I’ve had the cordless porter cable nailer for a few years for ease of use but loved my bostich with compressor for stain grade. My PC leaves a cleaner mark than my buddies Senco but lacks the punch that the ryobi and senco seem to deliver. Looks like this is the best of both worlds. Is there anything about it you would change or prefer improved?

Matt manger

First off, thank you for all of your unbiased, honest reviews of tools day in and day out. It really helps everyone, myself included, make an informed decision on our tool purchases on what tools will make us most efficient, professional and adaptable to the ever changing fields we are in. I would love to be able to trim all cordless with this beautiful Brad nailer and thank you for the opportunity! Keep up the good work! @matt.manger on instagram

Taun Vallet

Todd Olson

Thanks for the great review. Between the power, balance, & nail hole size this is a must have machine. This would make a great addition to my small shop so I can avoid tripping over the air hose.
IG: tolson_44

Frank landaverde

Natalie Cloutier

Thanks for the thorough review. I’ve been eyeing this as my next toy to add to my black and yellow set for a while now. I think that choice of tools can change jobs dramatically and this is the answer to the quick in and out or small trim job. Thanks again learn a lot about the product.
@cloutierconstructionanddesign

Naved

Jason Christensen

This would be perfect for last minute end of the job type stuff.
Rather than pull out a compressor and a hose and your gun, just grab this.
Seems like a time saver and a more efficient way to get things done.
IG aye_be_awkward

Michael Mantone

Your reviews are very well written and thorough, It’s a big help to those of us just starting out or building a business. I’ve been doing some form of carpentry/woodworking for some time on my own house and to make some extra money. Many moons ago I had a Porter Cable Bammer Finish nailer which I loved. Sadly it was stolen along with my car and the rest of my tools. I replaced it with a pnuematic and although it works great it doesn’t give you the easy of use by being tethered to a noisy compressor. Thanks again.

Brad Shaw

I currently have a 18gauge paslode. Thinking of converting to the dewalt because I already have the batteries, and the gas cartridges are expensive. You’re making my decision easier.
@nighthawkvalleyinteriors

Zach miller

These have to be the best guns on the market right now. I have not been able to try the new bostich guns but from what I’ve seen from some it is exactly the same as the dewalt except the battery. I think you could make the battery work from one to the other. But not the other way around. Lol. I wish I had 5 of these things. All in different gauges. Millerzconstruction

Daniel

Aaron maher

Andrew Kline

This is the kind of tool I would normally bring with me for quick finish jobs. But I truly feel I could use this for my main trim gun. I’m currently using a Senco finishpro and don’t get me wrong it’s a great gun but eliminating the houses and compressor elimnates the hassle of carrying around the extra weigh and storage. Also no need to lug a compressor up and down stairs so you got me sold ToolPig. Great review
Andrew_kline_

Andrew Kline

This is the kind of tool I would normally bring with me for quick finish jobs. But I truly feel I could use this for my main trim gun. I’m currently using a Senco finishpro and don’t get me wrong it’s a great gun but eliminating the houses and compressor elimnates the hassle of carrying around the extra weigh and storage. Also no need to lug a compressor up and down stairs so you got me sold ToolPig. Great review

Stephan

Joseph carroll

Got to demo this with some DeWalt reps and this thing was great but a bit heavy compare to the Paslode impulse. Though I think a little extra weight makes up for never needing the expensive gas cartridges.

Cody taggart

Tyler Murray

Thanks for the review!
I’ve wondered about battery powered nailers and never pulled the trigger. Been using either pneumatic or fuel cell Hitachi.
I definitely do agree with you though that the Dewalt handles feel very good. Might be time to try one of these… especially since it’s on their 20v platform.
@yukon.living

Adam Sperry

Another very thorough review. I was considering skipping the DeWalt for possibly one with a smaller form…I also don’t understand why this is as big as some of the larger gauge ones. After reading though, I might just have to try the DeWalt after all. Thanks again Paul!
@completelycordless

Brett

Tims Timber

Visiting your site for the first time, you have completely opened my mind to so much! I love your content on instagram, but here, I learned much more! Great reviews, and I could really use this nailer almost daily, including in my wood shop!

Grant Matherly

I am so glad you did a review on this Dewalt 18ga cordless 20V brad nailer. I have been trying to pull the trigger on a purchase but could not make my mind up on which one. I like the fact that it leaves a small hole, is well balanced and does not have a strong recoil. Also Dewalt offers a lot of tools on the same battery platform. Thanks for all your in-depth research Tool pig.

Cody Ross

Hugo p

Cody Ross

So I hear your giving one of these bad boys away. I currently don’t own any nail gun or an air compressor either. The company i work with uses all paslode stuff but I’m not ready to buy these when I know new battery powered options are out there. I’ld love to get my hands on one. You can find me on IG @carpentercody

I’ve used their 18volt finish nailer on and off for a few years now and my only complaints were that it was the size of a framing nailer and about as heavy as one. But for quick Reno’s where there isn’t much trim or doors to hang, all was forgiven but I was still running air for Brad’s so I would often just ignore the 18 volt and go for air. I had to much invested in pneumatics and the 18 volt to even know much about the paslodes or their durability, all I know is the gas powered ones smelled aweful and sucked to work with. It really seems like they took all that into consideration and then took it a step further by making the nail delivery precise accurate and small. The clip is a bonus if you’re switching from gun to gun. I like it and you’re review basically says what I would probably come up with if I got the chance to play around with one. Definitely need it. I’d love to not run air on a smaller job and be able to fire Brad’s on a 20 volt platform. Probably run for 3 days on a flexvolt. Haha

Aldo Rocha

hugo Garcia

Great review of the DeWalt 18 GA Nailer. I’m sold on having one. This gun would save lots of time and money when doing small to big jobs. No need to take down the compressor and then undo the hose . Ohh and what a pain when the hose has a leak or gets Tangled . But with this just gotta make you have the battery fully charged and ready to go. This would be really good for me . I’m doing new construction siding and typically there’s no power yet. The gun would be great with installing the soffit and would for sure last me all day.

Clive Gahungu

I would love to have this. This seem a lot better than the kind of Brad Nailer that I have used before. I used the ones that had to hook up a hose. That one was not good because you some times had to guess the air pressure to drive in the nail in right. I noticed I had to do it more in the winter time because the cold / dry air where I live would change the pressure in the tanks on me. But this cordless Brad Nailer will change all that. If I get this I will not have to go through that again. I do need this. I have stuff to work on where this Brad Nailer would come in real handy. This seems like it is the best Brad Nailer ever produced.
Instagram: The_Real_C_Live

Brody F

Kasey

Thanks for the review ! I have been trying to justify buying one of these ! For the times I need a nailer , which seems to be more and more often , it would be amazing to just throw a few nails in click in the battery and have the gun ready to go ! Not hauling the compresor and hose everywhere . I was excited to learn how impressed you were with it knowing the growing market for these tools !

I’m big fan of dewalt tools, I have many of them and love their durability and quality. I currently have the ryobi airstrike cordless nailer. When I bought the ryobi, I want to say that no one else was offering a cordless option in the big box stores. Would love have the dewalt in my dewalt lineup of tools! I’m positive that it is of the highest quality. Instagram name – NOLANBUILT

James Smetaniuk

ethan

looks sweet i like the new extra power i bet it preforms great i could use it for a multitude of different things finishing putting in my base board and much more, would really enjoy and appreciate if i got this tool. @ethan_weir

Bryce Harvey

David moloney

Have my first solo job going out on my own instead of the company ive worked for so will have to rent tools. This would definitely come in handy as my first tool bought!
Your review has really sold me on it ???

Matt

Matt

Austin werrmann

I have the 18v fuel nailers. I must’ve gotten a couple of flukes because I am happy with them. The 18v leaves no double driver marks and sinks all the nails. With that being said I would still like to have this because it seams that this is even better than the Milwaukee.

I got the 1st gen nicad DeWalt 18ga yeeeaaarrssss ago and it totally sucked. That’s when I stopped buying their products. I’m sure the guns been improved by now. I’ll gladly win this. Got an apt reno coming soon and this will help me do the trimwork without taking my compressor and hose to the job site. Would help out a lot!

Brian

Jed Combs (IG - jedsco_iii)

Great review! Up until this point my cordless nailers have all been paslode impulse’s as well. Really like the idea of battery only that’s why I’ve been researching Dewalt’s 18ga nailer. I’m not brand specific with any of my tools but I will say I have been very pleased will all of the Dewalt tools I’ve purchased recently. Their flexvolt tools have been amazing. Thanks for swaying me even further towards purchasing this nail gun. My local tool store will have to get a visit from me this weekend.

Drusilla

Joe kati

Some things mentioned here that are making this non cordless nailer a believer. Power to sink nails, no cartridge maintenance and that precision tip. Since Dewalt has a 30 day guarantee, I think I’ll give this nailer a shot, pun intended.

I’m glad you mentioned the form factor because it looks larger than it needs to be and it’s one of the reasons I’ve been looking at pneumatic nailers instead of cordless ones. It looks like it could get in the way and prevent you from fastening near inside corners.

At the same time it looks like a really convenient option for woodworks who build furniture, boxes, or other items that are fastened from the outside.

Mayank Umaraniya

Mayank Umaraniya

Brett Johnson

I love the quantity of the new battery operated tools. I would love to have this to start constructing small carpentry projects as I don’t have a air compressor or a big enough work area for the larger tools.
@brettj94

thetoolpig

Ryan Robertson

Alex deyle

Awesome review ! Covered everything you need to know about this nailer that you wouldn’t even need to read the manual ! I’m a huge dewalt fan and this nailer would be perfect for increasing productivity for my custom pieces !
@al_deyle

Matt Rottler

How extensively have you tested mixed nail brands? It seems guns are always finicky when it comes to nail brand.

I can imagine some great benefits of this gun over pneumatic with conpressor. So often have I had to tote a heavy compressor and hose across town, down into a basement, and down 5 hallways, just to hang 1 or 2 pieces of trim.

Sam Ramos

Larry Cooley

I just got a new shed this would be perfect for finishing the interior. I also work at Home Depot so I see a lot of the new tools for all manufacturers. Thanks for this and the WTI app. My Instagram name is. Lcooley67 Thanks again.

thetoolpig

Nick Garritano

I’ve had my eye in this nailer for a while. Would be perfect for small jobs I do in condos or when I just have a couple pieces of trim or cabinets to install. It beats lugging out a compressor and hoses. Thanks for the review! @nickg_carpentry

Ken Warywoda

Richard Clarke

So nice. Would be really nice to be able to smash in moldings and casings without getting the air hose hooked up on furniture and what not. Not to mention no more need for a compressor!! Do you find that the “reload” time before the trigger pull to be a little annoying?

Jake Schnaible

Amanda Dux

Thats a good review – before coming into this article I had questions in my mind (ie does it leave indents? / how heavy and balanced is it for long periods of use) and you answered those positively. I do use Dewalt as the go to for most of my tools, primarily because they do what they are meant to and this seems no different – having an air nailer is great for in the shop however for doing projects in the house means connecting lengths of air hose ? so this would be the next natural purchase. Thanks for the review.
@rusticduckfurniture

Kenneth Barnard

What a time saver! And time is $$ in this business. Plus the added benefit of not having to work around wires, cords, and all that noise means a happier work environment and happier clients that are often times at during partial remodels. I like it and would love to use one.
IG: Nowuries

Edirke simon

Dave McCarthy

Great review on what looks like and outstanding tool. I have been looking for some good reviews on this product for a while. This has been on my need list for a long time. I really need it to get rid of my compressor mess and add to my Dewalt line of 20v max tools. And it makes it easier to do trim work outside of the shop!
@d_macwoodworks